39 repatriated to Cuba after being found northwest of island by Coast Guard

Thirty-nine Cubans were repatriated to Bahia de Cabanas, Cuba, on Saturday. The migrants, aboard a rustic vessel, had been found northwest of the island on Monday by the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Isaac Mayo. They received food and water, but no medical concerns were reported.

There has been a steady increase in crossing attempts from Cuba to the U.S. since the announcement of normalized diplomatic relations with the island in December 2014. Since October, an estimated 3,140 Cubans have tried to migrate on boats. This figure represents the total number of landings and at-sea interdictions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and the Atlantic.

This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 11:13 AM with the headline "39 repatriated to Cuba after being found northwest of island by Coast Guard."